Particle blast-off

Another year, another Forward Look, that tome of statistics and statements on Government policy on science, engineering and technology across all departments.

This year, though, the cash-strapped Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council has really outperformed the rest of the research councils by getting its tentacles into piggy banks belonging to the funding councils.

At least, that's what a figure on page 147, showing expenditure by the funding councils over the period 1994/95 to 1998/99, suggests. The figure is titled "Net expenditure on science, engineering and technology by the Particle Higher Education Funding Councils".

Is this a bold, farsighted move by PPARC and funding councils to boost spending on particle physics and astronomy? Antithesis thinks we should be told.